


Bullseye

by imaginary_golux



Category: Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-16 12:42:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29576292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginary_golux/pseuds/imaginary_golux
Summary: Buri gets to the rec center late, but maybe that's not such a bad thing.
Relationships: Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak/Buriram Tourakom, background Jon/Thayet
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27
Collections: February Ficlet Challenge 2021: Apocalypse No





	Bullseye

“Hail and well met!” Raoul says cheerfully. The newcomer is a short, stocky woman with black hair braided ruthlessly back and dark, solemn eyes set in a broad, golden-tan face; she moves like she isn’t afraid of anything.

The woman raises an eyebrow and looks him up and down. “Hail,” she says at last, apparently deciding to humor him.

“D’you need directions to the archery butts?” Raoul asks, eyeing the quiver and unstrung shortbow slung over her shoulder with interest.

That gets him a rather more thoughtful look. “Not going with ‘Dost thou’?”

“That’d be _dreadfully_ impolite; I don’t know you well enough to ‘thee’ you,” Raoul points out, lounging against the gatepost and grinning down at her. A sense of humor! Better and better!

“I suppose it would, at that,” the woman says, and holds out a hand. “Buri Tourakom.”

“Raoul Goldenlake,” he says, shaking her hand firmly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise. I’m supposed to be meeting someone - I got caught in traffic. Has Thayet gotten here yet?”

“Oh, you’re with Thayet! Ah.” Raoul winces and scrubs a hand across the back of his neck. “So, how do you feel about love at first sight?”

“Dubious at best,” Buri says, narrowing her eyes. “A lot of people think they’re in love with Thayet.”

“Ah. No. Not quite what I meant. She got here fifteen minutes ago, and as far as I can tell, she and my best friend immediately fell straight into a rom-com. I don’t _think_ there was a sudden shower of rose petals, but I couldn’t swear to it.” He gestures over his shoulder at the little pavilion up the hill, half-hidden behind a screen of bushes. “They’re up there, kissing.”

“They’re what?” Buri asks, and leans past him. Raoul turns to see that Thayet has pinned Jon to one of the pillars and is kissing him ravenously; Jon seems extremely pleased by this turn of events.

“Huh,” Buri says after a moment. “That’s...different. Guess I won’t be having an archery partner today.”

“I’ve got a longbow, and my usual sword partner’s up there getting his mind blown,” Raoul says. “Mind if I join you?”

“Sure,” Buri says, and waits patiently enough while Raoul jogs back to his car and gets his bow out of the trunk. “Want to bet on our scores?”

Raoul remembers the calluses on her hands and eyes the easy way she moves, and grins. “Sure. Loser buys the winner drinks?”

“Deal,” Buri says, radiating smugness.

Raoul grins wider. He’s pretty sure he’s going to lose - he’s much better with a sword or a warhammer than a longbow - but that’s alright. He knows a very good bar just down the road.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the FFC prompt "Hail," and beta'd by my marvelous Best Beloved, Turn_of_the_Sonic_Screw.
> 
> (George Cooper runs the bar.)


End file.
